Renewable Energy Sources

By Alexis Kenne

There are many sources of renewable energy that can be applied for use within our infrastructure. With the latest and greatest advancements in technology, these systems are becoming more and more efficient. Wind, solar, and water are great examples of renewable sources of energy that are environmentally friendly and free.

There are many hot discussions about pros and cons of nuclear power, and there are many critics and proponents for this form of energy. No matter how safe these operations are handled and barring any nuclear accident, which is almost impossible to do, radioactive waste is created which will be dangerous for hundreds or even thousands of years. This leaves a toxic legacy for future generations to clean up. Nuclear power is very risky, and can have disastrous consequences when something goes wrong. Incidents like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island have made many wary of allowing a nuclear power plant anywhere near their city. When all pros and cons are taken into consideration anything as deadly as nuclear energy should probably not be used. This energy is not renewable either, because there is a limited amount of Uranium in the earth, so when this is depleted then it is gone completely.

The first problem is that our dependence on energy continues to grow. As the size of the population increases we are using more of our depleted natural reserves of fuel every single day. People today live longer due to advances in medicine and health care and we are a society dependent upon our electronic gadgets as well.

Most modern nations depend on natural gas, oil and coal to supply the majority of their energy needs, but dependence on fossil fuels is a huge dilemma. Fossil fuels are considered a finite resource, meaning the world can and will run fresh out of fossil fuels. These fuels can also cause pollution of the air, soil and water. However, people are turning to renewable energy sources.Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by hydropower, i.e., the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy. Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, the project produces no direct waste.

Other renewable energy science fair projects with solar power can explore the structure and functions of the solar updraft tower, the solar energy equivalent of a power plant. Did you know that a prototype solar updraft tower - Ciudad Real - was built in Spain in 1982 and operated until 1989? Today, several plans are underway to construct even larger solar updraft towers. Your project could investigate these plans and comment on their feasibility.

The fun of exploring renewable energy can also be applied to wind power. Did you know that 19 percent of the electricity in Denmark is produced by windmills? Did you know that the amount of electricity generated by wind power increased by a factor of more than five between 2000 and 2007? This is truly an emerging energy source. Your project could focus on the innovations that made the recent growth in wind power possible. Do you foresee further comparable growth in the future.

Geothermal energy is a very powerful and efficient way to extract a renewable energy from the earth through natural processes. This can be performed on a small scale to provide heat for a residential unit (a geothermal heat pump), or on a very large scale for energy production through a geothermal power plant.

Biomass, as a renewable energy source, refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. In this context, biomass refers to plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce for example trash such as dead trees and branches, yard clippings and wood chips biofuel, and it also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers, chemicals or heat .Without alternative energy sources, a severe energy crisis could occur globally. Fossil fuel reserves will not last long, especially at the rate oil and gas are consumed around the world.

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